SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 143
In Memory
of
Roy Benavidez
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the
citizens of Texas in remembering the life and legacy of Medal of
Honor recipient Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and the loaning
of his Medal of Honor to the new National Medal of Honor Museum in
Arlington; and
WHEREAS, A native Texan, Master Sergeant Benavidez was
born on August 5, 1935, in Lindenau, the son of a sharecropper;
orphaned at an early age and raised by relatives, he dropped out
of school at the age of 14 to work in the fields before enlisting
in the U.S. Army in June 1955; and
WHEREAS, While on his first tour of duty in Vietnam, this
admirable soldier was injured by a land mine, and though doctors
feared he might never walk again, Master Sergeant Benavidez
recovered fully and returned to Vietnam with the Green Berets, an
elite Special Forces unit; and
WHEREAS, On the morning of May 2, 1968, while assigned to the
Loc Ninh base in South Vietnam, then-Sergeant Benavidez learned that
12 members of a Special Forces reconnaissance team were surrounded by
enemy troops inside Cambodia and under heavy fire; this heroic Texan
courageously volunteered for the evacuation mission to aid in the
rescue of his fellow soldiers; and
WHEREAS, Though intense small-arms and antiaircraft fire
made the rescue operation tremendously dangerous, Sergeant
Benavidez jumped from the helicopter into enemy gunsights; even
before he reached the stranded team's position, he had been
wounded in his right leg, face, and head, yet despite his painful
injuries, Sergeant Benavidez carried the wounded men to the
waiting helicopter and provided protective fire to cover the
remaining crew; and
WHEREAS, The mission grew more complicated as Sergeant
Benavidez retrieved classified documents from dead and wounded
team members, and he worked quickly to secure them despite
sustaining more severe wounds from gunshots to his abdomen and
grenade fragments in his back; while attempting takeoff, the
pilot was mortally wounded, and the helicopter crashed; despite
the chaos around him, Sergeant Benavidez freed those aboard from
the wreckage and established a defensive perimeter under
increasing enemy gunfire and grenade attacks; and
WHEREAS, Acting as a medic, directing by radio the fire
from gunships overhead, and even engaging in hand-to-hand combat
with the enemy, Sergeant Benavidez bravely weathered a harrowing
six hours in hell and saved the lives of eight men through his
leadership and action; he had been clubbed, shot, and bayoneted,
yet Sergeant Benavidez prevailed, and when his actions were
praised as awesome and extraordinary, he defined them only as
duty; and
WHEREAS, For his exceptional valor, Sergeant Benavidez was
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; then on February 24,
1981, 44 years ago, Master Sergeant (Ret.) Roy P. Benavidez was
presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor by President
Ronald Reagan; and
WHEREAS, Even after his retirement from the military, he
continued to serve his country by devoting his time and energy to
veterans groups and by visiting schools to speak to youths on
critical issues such as courage, commitment, education, faith,
patriotism, and staying away from drug use and gangs; and
WHEREAS, Though this brave soldier died on November 29,
1998, his widow Hilaria "Lala" Coy Benavidez and their three
children, son Noel and daughters Yvette and Denise, have carried
on Master Sergeant Benavidez's legacy by remaining active in
their community with various civic organizations and
volunteering their time with the Boy Scouts of America, which
paved the way for six of Master Sergeant Benavidez's grandsons to
earn the rank of Eagle Scout; and
WHEREAS, On February 6, 2011, the late Hilaria "Lala"
Coy Benavidez generously loaned her husband's Medal of Honor
to the Ronald Regan Presidential Library in Simi Valley,
California, where it was on display for tens of thousands of
museum visitors to see and learn about the life and legacy of
Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez; and
WHEREAS, On January 3, 2025, the children of Master
Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez traveled to the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Library to take part in a handoff ceremony, which
consisted of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library handing over
Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez's Medal of Honor to his three
children so that it can return home to Texas; and
WHEREAS, The children of Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez
have generously loaned their father's Medal of Honor to the new
National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, where it will be one
of several Medals of Honor from living and deceased recipients
that have been either donated or loaned to the new museum and will
be on display for the public to see; and
WHEREAS, A deserving recipient of the highest and most
prestigious military decoration of valor, Roy Benavidez
demonstrated extraordinary courage in the line of duty, and he
will forever be remembered with great admiration; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life and legacy of Master
Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and extend to his family sincere
appreciation for their generosity in sharing his inspiring story
with others; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
prepared for his family as an expression of deepest gratitude
from the Texas Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day,
it do so in memory of Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and his
wife Lala.
Huffman
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 26, 2025,
by a rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate